Method of and apparatus for filtering



Nov. 30, 1948. F. B. LoMAx 2,455,130

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FILIERINGrl Filed Nov. s, 1945 HMA/K LoMAx 'fw y@ Patented Nov. 30, 1948 METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FUR FILTERING Frank B. Lomax, Chicago, Ill.; Mary P. Lomax, executrix of said Frank B. Lomax, deceased, assigner to Mary P. Lomax, Chicago, Ill.

Application November s, 1945, serial Nc. 627,352

filtering of such liquids to add to them iilteraid,

such as diatomaceous earth, kieselguhr, neutral earth, etc. These lteraids, as is well known, were added for the purpose of coating the filtering element or plate through which the liquid is to be passed. The addition of such iilteraids to the liquid has been found to be very detrimentalfto the pumps employed in the pumping of the liquid through the lter system. This is due tothe fact that such lteraids have a seriousv abrasive action on the parts of the pump or the bearings which materially increases the wear and tear on these parts.

An object of this invention is to obvi-ate the foregoing unsatisfactory condition in existing filtering systems.

Another object of this invention is lto provide an improved-method of and apparatus for iiltering wherein the liquid to be filtered and the filteraid may be separately impelled into a common area without the lteraid having to pass through the impelling means for the liquid.

Another object of this invention is to provide, ina filtering system of the foregoing type, con trolled huid pressure equalizing connections for the Y separated llteraid and liquid containing chambers or tanks.

In accordance with the general features of this invention there is provided in a method of ltering the steps of feeding liquid to be filtered into a conned area, separately discharging into the area a lteraid and flowing from said area, independent cf the feeding step, the liquid and lteiaid into a filtering zone.

yAnother feature of the invention relates to the provision of steps for equaliziiig the fluid pressure above and below the mass of lteraid being discharged into the liquid containing chamber or tank.k In accordance lwith other features of this in vention there is provided in the lil-tering system a confined chamber', means for impelling the fluid under pressure to be filteredv into this chamber, an adjoining tank containing a supply of filter aid, an automatic feeding device between the tank and chamber for discharging predetermined in the chamber, a ltering device and a connection between a discharge end cf the chamber and the filtering device for delivering a stream of liquid and lteraid to the iiltering device independently of the pressure of the liquid being impelled into the chamber.

'Other objects and features of this' invention will more fully appeal' from the following detail description taken in connection with the ac companying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment thereof and in which the single iig ure is a more or less diagrammatic view of a ltering system embracing the features of this invention. A

As shown on the drawing:

It is believed that my novel method and apparatus will be fullyunderstood from a description of the diagrammatically illustrated system in the accompanying drawing.

The reference character l! designates generally a closed tank or chamber having rotatably disposed in its lower portion an agitating blade or propeller l I suitably driven by a pulley drive I2 on the exterior of the chamber. The lower end of the chamber is connected by the means of a suitable T |3,Vthrough which the drive for the agitator extends, to a discharge pipe line ifi leading to a ltering zone or area designated generally by the reference character I 5.

The upper end of the tank Il! has a removable lid or cover I6 through which a ilteraid is adapted to be discharged by an automatic screw feed device designated generally by the reference character il. The iilteraid may be of any conventional type, such, for example, as diato-maceous earth, neutral earth or kieselguhr.

The tank lll is adapted to have discharged into it, through a pipe line it, a liquid to be filtered, such, for example, as whiskey, wine, syrup, water, etc. The pipe line I8 has a bent discharge end. I9

positioned within the upper part of the tank lll.

The pipe line i8 has a conventional iicw control valve 2U adapted to be operated in the usual way by a ball type of float` tl disposed inside of the tank and responsive to 'the level of the liquid therein,

The pipe line I8 also has connected in it a conventional shut-off valve 22. This pipe line leads to the discharge end of a conventional centriufgal 'or rotary wine orv beer pump 23. The inlet side of the pump Z3 has connected to it a supply pipe line 24. 'Iliere is also disclosed between the outlet and inlet pipe lines- IE and 24 a pipe connection 2-5 including a lpressure release pulley A32. The shaft has secured to it a stirrery 33 and an agitator 34.

The upper end of the tank 3|] is provided with a charging opening 35 through .which a supply or batch of lteraid of the character previously mentioned may be delivered into the tank 30.

The lower or discharge end of the tank 30 isl connected to the upper end of the tank I by means of the spiral screw feed device I'I previously mentioned. This screw device maybe'of any suitable conventional construction and is adapted to be driven by a pulley 36 connected to any suitable prime mover or driving device.

A iluid pressure line 4I) is connected to the upper end of the tank 30. This uid pressure line 40 also has a pipe line connection 4I with the upper end of the tank I0. The arrangement is such that the same amount of uid pressure may be applied to the contents of both tanks. Thus, both the upper and bottom sides of the mass of filteraid located between the tanks in the screw feed Il are subjected to an equalizing pressure. This enables the material to be fed into the tank IIJ by the screw action of the feed device Il rather than by any difference in fluid pressure acting upon the mass of rllteraid being discharged from the upper tank 3i! to the lower tank I0.

The fluid pressure pipe line 40 is connected to a supply tank of air or` carbon dioxide 42. This tank may be supplied with fluid pressure by means of a pipe line 43. I propose that the tank have a gas pressure of from 100 to 125 pounds. Not all of this pressure, however, is utilized in the pipe line 40 since the pressure regulator 44 is so set as to cut down the amount of pressure in the line to about 50 pounds. In addition, the pipe line 40 is provided with a pressure regulator 45 connected by means of a fluid 'pipe line 4B to the discharge pipe line I4 leading away from the tank I. This gas pressure regulator 45 is of a conventional diaphragm type and is set to enable the pressure of the fluid or gas delivered in the tanks 30 and I0 to be about one pound in excess of the existing varying `instantaneous liquid pressure in the pipe line I4.

It should be noted that the pipe line 40'has a pop valve -41 and that the pipe line I4 has a pressure release valve 48. As illustrated, pressure gauges may be disposed wherever desired in the pipe lines, and inasmuch as 'that is more or less conventional practice in any fluid pressure line, no reference numerals are being applied to the gauges. Shut-off valvesy may also be used wherever desired.

The discharge pipe line I4 is connected to a series of filters 50 disposed `at the filtering zone I5. Each of these filters may be of any suitable conventional construction and may be of either the plate or tube type such as are fully known in the trade. i

Also, these lters I] are so arranged relative to the pipe line I4 that they may be all connected to the pipe line atthe same `timefor receiving liquid therefrom, or they may be sep'- arately opened to the pipe line as desired by a valve 5I associated with each of the filters.-

The discharge end of each of the lters 50 is connected to a common pipe line 52 which discharges at its upper end 53 into a suitable tank or receptacle 54 for receiving the ltrate.

The T I3 has a suitable packing 54 for sealing the T through which va shaft 55 rotatably depends for driving the agitating propeller II. Shaft 55 is journaled in a suitable web bearing 56 and a bearing 51 so that the iluid may be discharged from the tank I0 through the T and along the pipe line I4. The upper web bearing f, 56 is of a spoked type with a central hub in which the shaft 55 is journaled; fluid being free to flow through the web between the spokes. y

i In the voperation of my system, it is clear that the liquid to be ltered is delivered or pumped under pressure into the tank Ill entirely independently of the delivery of lteraid to the tank I8. That is to say, the supply of lteraid in the upper tank 30 is forced by the screw or worm I1 into the tank Il] entirely independently of the pressure of the pump 23. Thus there is no likelihood-of the iilteraid getting into the parts or bearings of the pump 23 and wearing the same out.

The level of the liqui-d to be filtered and delivered into the tank ID may be controlled by the conventional flow control valve 20. The amount of lteraid to be charged into the tank I0 is, of course, regulated by the lead of the screw I1. In other words, the screw may be so adjusted and timed as to deliver lteraid at a predetermined rate to the liquid in the tank I0'.

, The stirrer or propeller I I in the tank IIJ serves to'thoroughly mix the lteraid with the liquid so that a substantially homogeneous liquid is delivered into the pipe line I4 leading to the lter area or zone I5.

It should also be noted that the gas pressure line previously discussed and including the lines 40 and 4I serve to equalize the pressure on opposite sides of the mass of lteraid in the tank 3U and in the feed device I1 whereby the lteraid is propelled into the tank I0 solely by the forward speed of the screw or worm I1.

The arrangement of the tank hopper 30 containing the lteraid is such as to insure a proper and adequate amount of lteraid being delivered to the liquid to be ltered. The amount of filteraid, of course, depends upon the character and size of the lter, and of course, should be suicient to adequately coat the filtering surface of the lter. It is usually customary to use a lter paper andthe fllteraid should be of such type of character so as to properly pre-coat the lter paper. Moreover, during the continuous iiltering of the liquid being forced from the tank or chamber I Il the coat of lteraid on the lter surface is continually being increased. i In conclusion, it should be noted that the pressure of the gas delivered to the chamber I0 acts upon the fluid in the lower part of the tank or chamber so that the same is subjected to a pressure tending to force it out of the tank to the pipe line I4 leading to the ltering zone I5. However, as noted before, at no time is there any opportunity afforded for the filteraid or earth to get into the pump 23 'or in the line I8 leading to the saine.v

I claim as my invention:

1. In a method of filtering, the steps of forcing under pressure liquid to be ltered into a given conned area, separately discharging into said area a lteraid from a supply of said lteraid in a separate adjoining chamber, subjecting said area and chamber to lluid pressure so that the pressure of the uid on both sides of said supply of lteraid is substantially equaliged, flowing from said area, independently of said forcing step, said liquid and lteraid into a filtering zone and controlling the pressure of said ilud by the pressure of the stream of liquid and filteraid discharged from said area and in advance of the ltering zone.

2. In a ltering system, a conned chamber, means for impelling under pressure liquid to be filtered in said chamber, an adjoining tank containing a supply of lteraid, a feeding device between said tank and chamber for discharging predetermined quantities of lteraid into said chamber, fluid pressure connections between said 1 tank, said chamber and a source of fluid under pressure for equalizing the fluid pressure in said tank and chamber above and below respectively the mass of lteraid being fed into said chamber, a ltering device, a connection between a dis- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,040,090 Zahm Oct. 1, 1912 1,604,649 Manning Oct. 26, 1926 1,853,263 Dudley Apr. 12, 1932 2,214,671 Hagan Sept. 10, 1940 2,294,697 Seip Sept. 1, 1942 

